Butternut and Brussels Orzo

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cooking Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 tablespoon light miso
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Creamy Butternut Orzo

• 1 cup puréed butternut squash OR cooked butternut squash cubes
• ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy creamer OR rich non-dairy milk (such as cashew or oat)
• ½ lb (227 grams) orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, fine dice (about ¼ cup diced shallot)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste (skip it if you are averse to the spice)
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Cooking Instructions

Brussels Sprouts

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, olive oil, maple syrup, and mustard until well combined.
3. Place all of the Brussels sprouts on the lined baking sheet and pour the miso and mustard mixture over them. Season with salt and pepper and toss the sprouts to coat them evenly with the mixture.
4. Put the baking sheet in the oven. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes or until tender and deep golden brown on the edges. Until then let us move to the orzo.

Creamy Butternut Orzo

1. While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, let us make the creamy butternut orzo. First, make the butternut cream by combining the non-dairy creamer, butternut squash, and nutritional yeast in a blender. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
2. Place a deep skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour in the olive oil. Add the shallot to the pot and stir until softened and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, thyme, chili flakes (if adding), and smoked paprika. Stir and cook until the garlic is quite fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the orzo pasta and stir to coat in the shallots and spices. Season the mixture with salt and pepper (add a little extra as we’ll add the stock now).
3. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir. Bring the orzo to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until the orzo is soft (about 8 minutes), stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet often. Just keep stirring and adding more vegetable stock if necessary. You want to keep the consistency nice and fluid.
4. Once the orzo is soft and the mixture is starting to get creamy, add the butternut cream to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the orzo back up to a simmer. Add the lemon juice to the creamy butternut orzo and stir. Now, taste the dish for seasoning and adjust if necessary (more salt, chili, pepper, lemon etc). Stir in the chopped parsley and top with the roasted Brussels sprouts (and roasted chopped salted almonds if you are not allergic to nuts). Serve hot!